Capozzella: Has their patriotism led them to serve their country?

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Re: "Socialist America," by John M. Kunst Jr., letters, Dec. 8

I have to take my hat off to John M. Kunst, Jr. of Fairplay for having the courage, unlike most conservatives or Tea Partiers, for voicing his opinions and beliefs. However, the United States is not a socialist nation or a capitalist nation. In the past, men and corporations with ambition and no restrictions were able to accumulate incredible wealth and political influence. It was also a period when children under 12 worked to help support families, the poor worked in sweat shops, the sick had no health care options, without social security the elderly had to live with family members, the poor lived in unheated fire traps, the majority of voters were older white men, little public education, and the wealthy lived on nob hill with little thought to anyone else. In the 1930s, the Democrats created Social Security and numerous socialist work programs that built all our great dams and infrastructure.

As for the complaint against those not paying taxes, I find the argument offensive. As a military retiree with service in Vietnam and Desert Storm and with all (three) my children serving in the military and two still serving their country, retired from college teaching, I do not as a retiree make enough money to pay taxes. Does Mr. Kunst include me and a majority of other military and elderly retirees as - quote "perplexing and destructive that 47 percent of us pay no taxes? These folks have no skin in the game - no investment in our future."

Most people who claim to be American patriots and practically all our congressional leaders have never served in our military and sadly neither have their children. While I don't know a thing about Mr. Kunst or that pillar of right-wing philosophy, Mr. Liddick, I wonder whether their extreme patriotism has led them to serve their country. I don't expect everyone to serve but people like Audie Murphy proved his courage and patriotism while John Wayne played and talked the part.